sweet candy press books

Sweet Candy Press is a small, independently owned book publishing house located in Olympia, Washington. Founded in 2012, Sweet Candy Press is the sister company of Sweet Candy Distro, which has distributed hundreds of zine titles since 2004. The press has published 5 books to date, and has 3 more books slated for release by Spring 2016.

In continuation of Sweet Candy Distro’s 11-year tradition of supporting independent writers and the DIY community, Sweet Candy Press is giving non-traditional authors a larger format to express their stories, both fictional and nonfictional. The 5 current releases are written by current, long-time zine writers. We believe everyone’s story is important and worth sharing. By doing so, we provide the support necessary for these texts to reach a wider audience, and simultaneously strengthen the communities its readers belong to.

the greatest most traveling circus!

The Greatest Most Traveling Circus is an anthology of stories about vampires and superheroes, gypsy curses, giant killer robots, psychics, love potions, bar fights over stolen angel wings, imaginary monsters, magical traveling pants and the devil as a red-headed con man. But it’s also a novel about overcoming depression, struggling with suicide, handling loss, and trying to find meaning in a world where the supernatural isn’t the hardest part of life to accept. Above all, it’s about finding friendship when it is least expected--but most needed.See Also:Cheer The Eff Up.

Heavy Hangs The Head

This is a memoir novella about a woman with an addiction, a mental illness & a feminist identity. This is the story of one woman's journey from anxiety-ridden child to delinquent teenager to divorced alcoholic & how she turned all those years of experience into a beautiful existence. Heavy Hangs the Head is the story of the first thirty-four years of my life which included losing a parent, losing myself, losing everything & fighting back with the help of a community I didn't realize I had. It's about falling in love & getting hurt, falling apart & getting back up. Heavy Hangs the Head is my journey towards learning to overcome the things that hold me back & accepting that sometimes, it's ok to not move at all but rather accept that I'm human & feeling emotions is ok.

Cover Art: Lisa Congdon

invoking nonna

Maggie Sloan is a free-spirited teenager growing up in rural Georgia. Unlike her peers, Maggie is a witch and so is her mother. In addition to normal teenager rites of passage, she must learn about her family lineage and witchcraft. Her mother, Laura, keeps a tight lid on their family secrets - like the mysterious life and death of her grandmother who passed away before Maggie was born.

Practicing the craft will test solid friendships and introduce Maggie to new realms. While seeking the truth about herself and her family, Maggie is faced with danger from churchgoing classmates who will stop at nothing to make sure she is found out. Laura and Maggie strengthen their bond through witchcraft and work together to overcome their enemies. Are their magical gifts enough to keep them safe?

Invoking Nonna is the first book in the Triple Goddess series.

ofrenda: a zine anthology (1994-2014)

Celia Perez captured my heart years ago with her words that were both handwritten and typed up in her personal zine, I Dreamed I Was Assertive. When a new issue would arrive in my po box, I'd lovingly open the envelope and brace myself for the magic inside.

Celia never dissappointed me. She is a magnificent storyteller and I am overjoyed to bring you twenty years of her writing (from various zines) in a 301-page anthology, Ofrenda. From 1994-2014, Celia documented parts of her childhood growing up in Miami and being a person of color. She has shared nostalgic stories about tradition, being a mother, dealing with loss, and the things that make her tick. It’s beautiful and real and I am thrilled it’s now documented in a perfectly bound paperback – her text, drawings, and collage work, enjoy!